


Coffee spills

by elanorelle



Category: Glee
Genre: Episode Related, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-27
Updated: 2012-02-27
Packaged: 2017-10-31 20:24:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/348027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elanorelle/pseuds/elanorelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"Come on, I'll buy you lunch."</i> Kurt and Blaine after the second Karofsky confrontation in Never Been Kissed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee spills

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by [a gifset and its tags](http://evarren.tumblr.com/post/18329826870/what-did-they-eat-for-lunch-was-it) on Tumblr, and is the first thing I've managed to finish writing since September. Whoo. It's fluffy and ridiculous, but it's finished so whatever.
> 
> No warnings or spoilers unless you don't actually watch Glee, in which case might I suggest you keep things that way. Title from the song of the same name by Stabilo.
> 
> Oh, and as ever, I have no idea where Dalton is supposed to be in the magical landscape of Glee!Ohio, or where RIB think Blaine lives that his movements in season 2 make any sense whatsoever, so I'm going with Blaine living in/near Lima and him boarding at Dalton during the week. Because that makes about as much sense as anything else.

"I can't believe you've never been here, before," Blaine says when they're settled in the back corner of the Lima Bean. On the table there's a medium drip, a non-fat mocha, two bagels (cinnamon and raisin for Blaine, wheat for Kurt), and an assortment of muffins because Blaine has never had much restraint when it comes to that sort of thing.

Kurt shrugs and takes a sip of his mocha. "I think maybe I've bought coffee here a couple times, but just in passing. If I hang out anywhere it tends to be at the mall. They have a Starbucks."

Blaine screws up his nose. "That place has no soul," he says. "I swear the people who work there are zombies."

Kurt raises both eyebrows. "And I guess they don't give you free biscotti, either?" he says, gesturing to the plate the barista (her name is Kerry) had handed over to Blaine along with his coffee and a smile.

Blaine laughs, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I come here kind of a lot," he says, adopting a confidential air.

"I figured," Kurt says, sounding faintly amused. "Either that or you really are as charming as you appear."

Blaine ducks his head, laughing again, and when he looks back up, Kurt's face is blushing bright red and he's got his eyes fixed firmly on the table. "Hardly," Blaine says, and decides then it might be best to move the topic of conversation on to something else.

"So, you like going to the mall," he says, picking up his pot of cream cheese and the crappy plastic knife he knows he's going to break trying to spread the damn stuff on his bagel. "Can I infer from this that you're into clothes?"

"My flawless fashion sense didn't clue you in sooner?" Kurt says, still not looking at Blaine directly, but turning his attention towards his own bagel (his layer of cream cheese ends up being significantly thinner than Blaine's).

Blaine smiles ruefully. "It's the uniform," he says, brushing a hand down the front of his blazer in demonstration. "It kind of deadens you after a while to all other sartorial possibilities."

Kurt looks genuinely horrified by the idea, even more so when Blaine tells him that when he's not wearing the blazer, his time at school is mostly spent in hoodies and sweatpants emblazoned with the Dalton crest.

"But that's _horrible_ , Blaine," Kurt says. "What, they can't even let you wear your own clothes during your free time? It's not like you're in _prison_ —"

"They don't _force_ us to do it, Kurt," Blaine says, "it's just easier than putting together an actual outfit when all you're gonna do is sit in the dorm watching movies or doing homework or whatever."

Kurt doesn't look a whole lot less appalled at the clarification. He sniffs and says: "That's no excuse, Blaine. There's never an excuse for _school sponsored casualwear_ , oh my god."

Blaine laughs so hard this time he almost chokes on his bagel, and Kurt feigns further outrage but really he just looks quietly pleased.

They talk a little about clothes after that: Kurt seems delighted and surprised when Blaine says he reads Vogue, even if he can hardly keep up with all of the designers and trends Kurt mentions. Judging by Kurt's reaction, though, Blaine thinks he probably does a better job than most.

At one point, they both reach at the same time for the sole piece of biscotti left over, fingers brushing, and then they each pull back and insist on the other having it ( _"No, really, it's yours"_ , _"Kurt, I didn't even pay for it, seriously, you take it"_ ) until eventually they both remember that they also have a plate of virtually untouched muffins to share and the biscotti falls somewhat by the wayside.

They've polished off two out of the three when Kurt looks up at him from the remains of the cranberry and orange to say, quietly: "Thank you for doing this. You really didn't have to."

Blaine makes a face. "I think even I would find it hard to eat three muffins all by myself, Kurt. Sharing them was definitely necessary."

"That's not what I—"

"I know," Blaine says, returning Kurt's steady gaze. "But _that_ isn't something you have to thank me for, Kurt. Not ever. And not this, either." He gestures between the two of them, hoping Kurt knows what he means.

Kurt nods slowly, as if he does. "Okay," he says. Then he tilts his head to one side and adds: "I'd still like to do it anyway, if that's all right with you."

Blaine shakes his head. "Only if what you're thanking me for is bringing you to this fine establishment and treating you to such an amazing combination of carbs and caffeine. And sugar, I guess, but that's technically also a carb, so."

Kurt looks at him a moment longer, his lips curving upwards. "Well, then," he says. "Thank you for that."

"You're welcome," Blaine says, smiling back.

They're silent for a few seconds, then, perhaps for the first time since they sat down, until eventually Blaine clears his throat and suggests more coffee might be in order. Kurt insists on paying this time, despite Blaine's protests, and while he's waiting in line Blaine takes the opportunity to check his phone. He has a couple of texts from friends asking him if he's okay, and at least three from Wes demanding to know if he's going to be at rehearsal later.

He really should get back to Dalton: he's already skipped Math and Biology, and this afternoon he's got English, Latin, and then a fencing lesson, not to mention Warblers practice after school. At this rate there's every chance he's going to miss most of if not all of that, and he's also pretty sure the excuse that he's in bed with a migraine will only hold if he's back at least in time for dinner, when the school nurse is bound to come and check on him again.

When he glances up, though, Kurt is looking back at him out of the corner of his eye, nervously, like he thinks Blaine might disappear at any second, and Blaine knows he can't leave until Kurt is ready for him to go. He sends a quick text back to Wes, promising his attendance at rehearsal (because any other response is utterly pointless), and then puts his phone back in his pocket and tidies up their table a little bit, piling the empty plates on top of one another and wiping down the spots of spilled coffee with a couple of crumpled napkins.

When he looks up this time, Kurt is looking at him again with a little half-smile on his face that Blaine doesn't really know how to read. It disappears as soon as he realises Blaine can see him and he starts frowning up at the drinks menu instead like he's considering what he wants, though when he finally comes back to the table with the drinks, Blaine's certain it's the exact same order as before.

"Thank you," Blaine says as he takes his own coffee from Kurt, removing the lid so that he can add cream.

"You're welcome," Kurt says, with a quirk of the lips, and then it's like the weird spot of tension that had built up dissipates and they go back to the easy conversation they'd been having before.

They talk about their favourite movies and musicals (Kurt agrees the community theatre production of _Rent_ sounds too good to miss, which doesn't necessarily mean he wants to go and see it, but Blaine finds himself making a mental note to try and get tickets anyway), compare class schedules and extracurriculars (wildly diverse, though of course glee club forms a common point of interest), and wind up having a strangely involved discussion about Blaine's current car problems, because apparently Kurt's dad is a mechanic and Kurt can think of three or four possibilities for what that ominous clunking noise could be.

Blaine is starting to think that Kurt is the most interesting person he's ever met, actually.

When Kurt's done diagnosing Blaine's car (and offering him a discount rate if he brings it in to Hummel Tires and Lube to get it fixed), he takes a look at the time on his phone and frowns.

"I guess I should get back to school," he says, dully.

"Are you sure?" Blaine says, fidgeting with the empty cup still in front of him. "I mean, if it's not safe for you, there—"

But Kurt shakes his head and says, more firmly, "No, it's okay. I think ... he's just scared, you know? And now that I know ... what I know. Maybe— maybe it'll even be better, maybe he'll back off."

Blaine doubts it, he really, _really_ doubts it, but this is Kurt's decision and it's not like a couple of encouraging texts, lunch in a coffee shop and a Katy Perry song give Blaine any kind of authority, here. "I hope so," is all he says, because that much, at least, is true.

They clear the table (Kerry gives them a grateful look from behind the counter) and gather up their things, Kurt bundled up in his jacket and scarf again and it's like seeing someone putting on armour, watching Kurt assemble his layers. When he's finished, his expression is distant and weary again, the way it hasn't been for the last hour or so, and he says, "Let's go," like he's steeling himself up for battle. Which, Blaine supposes, he probably is.

Outside, they linger by the door for a few minutes in the cool November sun. Blaine reminds Kurt that he's got Blaine's number, that he shouldn't hesitate to call if anything like this happens again, or if he needs someone to talk to, or if he needs _anything_ , anything at all.

"Thanks," Kurt says, clutching the strap of his bag a little harder. "I will."

They still don't say goodbye, and Blaine realises in that moment that it isn't enough to know that Kurt can call him if he needs to: he wants to see for himself that Kurt is okay, wants to keep any eye on him if he can.

"I'm home most weekends," he says abruptly, reaching out to touch Kurt's forearm where it's wrapped around his stomach. Kurt looks at him the same way he looked when Blaine took his hand back at Dalton – like he can't believe Blaine actually _wants_ to touch him, and oh, Blaine remembers how that feels. "We could hang out. Again. You know, if you want to."

Kurt bites his lip, looking so hesitant and hopeful it makes Blaine want to take him back to Dalton and keep him secretly in the dorms or something, pretend he's a student there, just so he won't have to keep on being so alone and so afraid. "Do _you_ want to?" Kurt asks, eventually.

Blaine nods without a second thought and says: "Yeah, absolutely." Even if he didn't feel somewhat responsible for Kurt's well-being, now, he'd want to hang out in any case. Kurt's kind of spectacular.

"Maybe..." Kurt says, smiling just a little. "Maybe next time we can skip the whole 'confront your bully' part and go right to the coffee?"

Blaine laughs, because he can sense that's what Kurt is hoping for, but he feels a surge of guilt at the same time, thinking about how stupid he'd been to give Kurt that kind of advice, how much worse things could have gone. Still, he knows the last thing Kurt should be doing right now is dealing with Blaine's issues as well as his own, so Blaine just smiles and says: "Yeah, that definitely sounds good. Are you free this Saturday?"

Kurt looks hesitant again, like he's the one asking Blaine and not the other way around. "You don't have plans?" he says.

"Nope," Blaine says. "Not a one." Or at least he won't, when he gets back to Dalton and cancels them. It's not like he's never been to a football game before, after all, and he's sure his Mom will be glad to have him home for the weekend: she can drag him out antiquing again on Sunday, she'll be thrilled. 

"Well, all right," Kurt says, and if his smile still isn't as bright as it was for those few minutes in the junior common room, then at least it's a start. "I'll meet you here, shall I? On Saturday?" 

"On Saturday," Blaine says, and he takes Kurt's hand fully in his and gives it a squeeze, relishing the look on Kurt's face when he does.

.

He gets back to Dalton in good time, in the end, managing to make it up to the dorm and into his pyjamas long before the nurse is likely to come and check on him. He actually has something of a headache now, ironically enough, so he figures he'll use the rest of his ill-gotten free time to get some sleep and then hopefully he'll be fit for Warblers practice and will successfully avoid the wrath of Wes and his gavel.

His pulls his phone out to check it while he gets into bed and finds a new text from Kurt, sent about a half hour ago.

 _Thank you_ , it says. _For lunch, and also for the things I'm not supposed to thank you for. Just, thank you._

As he's trying to figure out how to respond, another one comes in, saying: _Also, I have no idea how you got this extra muffin into my bag without my noticing, but be aware that when I no longer fit into my new Dolce & Gabbana jeans I will know exactly who to blame._

Blaine laughs into his pillow and tries to figure out how many hours it is till Saturday.


End file.
